


Fragments

by arixng



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, SixTONES (Band)
Genre: Drabble Collection, I'll add additional tags while writing, M/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:15:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arixng/pseuds/arixng
Summary: Collection of short stories for KyomohokuChapter 5: Mafia AUHe had come to associate blood with Taiga, like a present in the form of life wiped out sticky and pungent on his shirt
Relationships: Kyomoto Taiga/Matsumura Hokuto
Comments: 9
Kudos: 30





	1. Slow Down

**Author's Note:**

> So this is basically a dump for stories shorter than 1.5k-2k words  
> This is purely self-indulgent but if you have any requests, feel free to hmu

The empty unit looks larger than it should be. Dust and cobwebs are the only occupants before the two of them, and from there, they get a glimpse of how long they were going to have to wait before their apartment is fit to live in. They leave their duffle bags, roll-up bed, and boxes to the side, and an audible crack of knuckles echoes around the empty space.

Hokuto rolls up his sleeves and picks up the vacuum and mop. “Better get started.” He mutters. With a deep breath, Taiga rolls his sleeves up as well, and they start cleaning up until sundown.

The moment they’re lying on the roll-up futon and tucked under a small blanket marks the end of day one. The long trip from Shizuoka to Tokyo and the three-hour cleanup completely sucked the energy out of them, yet Hokuto manages to compose a final email to his new boss before shutting down his laptop and finally joining Taiga to sleep. He wraps his arms around the older man, chin on top of his head, and starts kneading the stiff muscles of Taiga’s back in a soothing motion.

“We finally have a home.” He whispers. The head beneath him nods slowly, but no reply follows.

On day two, Hokuto wakes up at 7:00 am --earlier than he’s used to-- and leaves their unit in a scurry. But not without kissing his Taiga goodbye and getting the tie around his neck redone. By 7:15, he’s out on his first day on the job, leaving Taiga to his thoughts in an empty bed and an empty home.

It’s not the best first day for Hokuto. The weather fucks him up and it’s a blessing he’s not completely soaked to the bones. The place he’ll be going to for the next eternity (hopefully; he doesn’t want to keep transferring jobs) is easy to spot: a high-rise modern building with glass windows and a large entrance. It was a place he never envisioned himself to be working in before. Taking a deep breath, puffing up his chest, and taking one last fix to his wet locks, Hokuto takes a step to his new life.

It was ten hours of being thrown to different people, offices, cubicles, paper here and there, doing this and that, and when he finally steps out of the building, he lets the cold night air filter his lungs and seep the filth of stress out of his skin. It’s only the first day, he reminds himself. He’ll eventually get used to it.

It takes way too long for him to fumble for the keys in his pocket to find the right one. The door swings open before he could insert it into the keyhole. In front of him stands Taiga, still a splendid sight despite his disheveled hair and tired expression. Strong arms wrap around his waist and pull him in, lips pressing onto his for a moment too short. “Well?” the shorter man asks, unwilling to let go of the warm body in front of him. Hokuto tangles his fingers within messy blonde locks. The dim lights switched on reveals space cleaner than the day before.

“Probably going to need a week to get used to endless emails and getting my necktie right.” Hokuto chuckles at the end.

They sit on the cold wooden floor and eat Chinese takeout. Taiga had gone around the city in the morning buying necessities and looking for potential furniture. He had also talked to the delivery man in charge of their stuff back in Shizuoka and confirmed its arrival within the next three days.

Eventually, things should start to fall into place, and their lives can start a new beginning. Tonight, however, they’d have to bear with the too-small mattress again and the unfortunate absence of a heater.

But it’s okay. When Taiga wraps his arms around Hokuto and rests his chin on his head, Hokuto thinks that the warmth from his lover would get him through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after some time, taiga eventually gets employed too lol  
> Read my other kyomohoku fic here


	2. Catch Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hokuto painfully watches the pretty blonde behind him struggling with the UFO catcher and decides to save the day (and his money)

Their first meeting wasn’t exactly romantic or heart-fluttering. In fact, when they were made to recall it, it was sort of funny and ridiculous. 

It was on a warm Sunday afternoon during summer break and Hokuto decided it was boring to stay the whole day at home. After being painfully accustomed to having his days filled from morning to evening for his classes in uni and his part-time job, he didn’t really know what to do with the vacant hours he had in his hands now. Today, the hours flew by with him reorganizing his room, catching up on reruns of the shows he couldn’t keep up with before, and scrolling through SNS while lying in bed. The same bleak events were on repeat since the day summer break started and that was just five days ago. He thought, if this keeps up, he would probably explode after another two days tops. 

The sound of dying out of boredom (and gradually having the fact that he was turning into a workaholic sink in) compels him to step out of the house and do anything remotely interesting. 

So here he was in the city’s gaming square where almost every store lined up housed an impressive variety of arcades, gacha machines, and crane games. 

Truthfully, Hokuto wasn’t one to frequent such places; he’d visit once or twice a month at most with friends when he was invited. He didn’t really like how loud and bright everything around him was and he couldn’t stand it when a crowd of arrogant and boisterous teens was over-exaggerating near his space. But he did find these games an excellent stress reliever and he was coincidentally blessed to be naturally skilled so he doesn’t end up wasting money. Hokuto wasn’t lucky when it came to gacha machines but he was skilled enough with UFO catchers to come back home like a champ carrying a bag full of prizes. So, with nothing else to do in mind, that was exactly where he was headed that afternoon. 

Since it was a Sunday, the area wasn’t so filled which made it much easier to breathe. There were days where some people were watching him subtly (but he could sense them so it wasn’t so subtle at all) and all it did was pressure him, causing him to lose focus and consequently lose the round. 

But Hokuto decided he  _ can’t  _ lose. Games like these were basically like gambling; he had to be careful in throwing away his money lest it turned into a vice before he knew it. The value of money had always changed for him after having to juggle his life, studies, and his part-time job.  Thus, as a responsible student, he vowed that there was no way he was gonna throw a coin in the slot ten times in a row and go home with nothing in hand. 

Unlike that blonde guy evidently struggling with the machine behind him. 

Hokuto didn’t know whether to feel amazed by his persistence or feel sorry for his staggering inability to catch one....tomato plushie with a face. The guy has been there way before he did and he was absolutely engrossed with his brows furrowed and his lips pressed in a straight line. Hokuto would have found it hilarious if not for that ounce of pity he felt. He couldn’t even concentrate on his own game; his attention has been completely pulled in by this stranger,  _ not _ because he was totally good-looking, with his silky hair, pretty eyes, and fair complexion...No, that definitely wasn’t it. The guy is trying sooo hard and he keeps fishing for coins from his pocket as if he came prepared with an unlimited supply. At some point, he seemed to have run out and Hokuto thought he was done until he pulled out a Suica card from his wallet. Thinking about how much money had been thrown away and eaten by the machine was terrifying. 

At one point, the crane manages to snatch the little strap poking out of the tomato’s head, and Hokuto starts mentally cheering him on when the item rises and starts moving closer to the edge. Then as if the gods were watching and chose this specific day to be assholes, it drops a few centimeters away from the pit. 

The man bangs his head on the acrylic surface in silent despair and frustration and Hokuto winces for him. Knowing this moment would never leave his mind for the next few days and would eat him up if he did nothing after having witnessed such tragedy and defeat, he drops his introverted tendencies and offers him a hand. 

“Just the tomato right?” He starts, approaching the machine while mentally calculating the optimal way to seize the toy. The man whips his head towards the voice, face evidently surprised and unexpecting of company. Based on his reaction, he most likely never sensed Hokuto watching from behind after all this time. ‘ _ He was that into it? _ ’ 

The shorter man nods his head with a confused expression until his eyes catch the bag of prizes Hokuto collected in one hand. “Holy shit. Are you a crane god or something?” He mutters with awe. 

Flushing from the compliment, and now that they were facing each other and could see each other clearly, Hokuto’s breath catches in his throat for a split second. He actually stutters. “N-no? Just oddly lucky with it, I guess.”  _ Fuck,  _ the guy is beautiful, he panics internally.

The blonde swipes his card and offers to carry Hokuto’s bag for him. Winning the tomato doesn’t take too long; in just one take, the claw catches the tag from the inferior side instead of the strap, and the red plushie makes its way down the pit. 

Hokuto exhales, relieved that he managed to catch it, and he jumps when the man cries in excitement and fascination. Like a child, he kneels to claim the prize from the machine and with a big smile, shows it to Hokuto. 

“You got him!”

Nervously, Hokuto chuckles. Fuck.  _ Fuck. _ He’s adorable. “Glad it has a home to go to now.” He says, unable to hide the fond expression plastered on his face despite his crossed arms.  _ Keep it cool, keep it cool. Calm down, beating heart.  _

“Ahh. You have no idea how grateful I am. I’ve been struggling so hard to get him.”

_ I know _ , Hokuto thinks. He doesn’t say it out loud. 

Now that his work was done and he got quite the amount of prizes for himself, he decided it was apt to head back home before the introverted tendencies kicked in and the situation turned awkward for him. He turns around. “Well, I guess I’ll go-”

“Let me treat you!”

Hokuto does a double-take. Taken aback, he stares at the other like he was growing another head and gapes. “What?” Did he hear right? Was his mind playing delusional games with him?

“Let me treat you something like dinner! As thanks for the plushie!”

Mind a jumbled mess and coherency lost, Hokuto blinks and stares. The man stares back, expecting an answer, and Hokuto realizes it was his turn to say something. 

“I- no! It’s fine! I just got it for you, I didn’t even pay for it!” He declines while shaking his head. 

“No! Let me! I want to.”

Before Hokuto could run away and escape, the man has a tight grip on his sleeve and an expression that says he wasn’t backing down and taking no for an answer. Concluding that it was futile to resist this seemingly stubborn individual (as seen from his never-ending attempts with the UFO catcher), Hokuto looks at him one last time. Captivated by his gleaming eyes, Hokuto gives up and finally accepts his offer. He tries staring holes at the hand on his sleeve thinking it would release him, but it doesn’t. The shorter man beams at him and starts leading him out of the game center with his other hand holding the plushie close to his chest. 

Well, being treated to dinner with a stranger definitely was not part of his plans for the day, but he figured it was better than rotting at home doing a boring-ass routine. Shrugging, Hokuto lets himself be led and watches the other walk with a light gait in his steps. Then the man turns to face Hokuto with a curious twinkle in his eyes. 

“Kyomoto Taiga.” He says, and Hokuto realizes after a beat that he was introducing himself. 

He clears his throat. “Matsumura Hokuto.” He replies back with a slight nod. 

Taiga mutters his name under his breath like he was feeling it out. “Is Hokuto okay?” 

“Eh?”

“You can call me Taiga.”

“What? We’re not even friends--”

But his flustered state is ignored when Taiga takes a sharp turn to the left and into a cafe, dragging Hokuto with him inside the brightly lit store. Confused, (but also a little excited), Hokuto sighs and allows himself to enjoy his new company. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> taiga was the lucky one when it came to gacha machines


	3. Twists and Turns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Road trip AU where they learn that they should never go on a road trip ever again 
> 
> (and to never let Taiga drive)

“I told you to take the next exit!”

“You’re supposed to say that when we aren't beside the exit itself!” 

“How am I supposed to kno-!?”

For the past twenty minutes, they’ve been bickering about whose fault it is that they were lost and have no fucking clue how to reroute and get back on the highway. They end up along some rural area and by some shitty luck, they can’t access the GPS since they were in an out of coverage area. This wasn’t the first time they went off track; the reason they even ended up wherever they were was because Hokuto thought he could trust Taiga to take over while he took a break after four hours of driving. He wakes up from a nudge on his shoulder and realizes the car was stopped and pulled over at the side of the road. Before he was about to ask, Taiga was looking at him with that forced smile he does when he knows he did something wrong, and Hokuto could only imagine how fucked they were. But being in some area lacking civilization was beyond his imagination. 

If they were to honestly think about it, they were absolutely stupid for even thinking of going on an out-of-town road trip. There was the reason that neither of them was adventurous; they were the type to prefer staying indoors when they were given a break. Then there was the more important reason which was: they don’t drive. More like, Hokuto can if he had to, but he was rusty since he regularly rode the train. On Taiga’s side though, he just  _ can’t.  _ He was shit when it came to directions and he gets flustered easily and would miss the right turn. He can’t even park to save his life. Hokuto would have found it sweet of Taiga for his offer to take over if it weren’t for the fact that he just drove them somewhere with more cows than humans. 

It’s been another hour since Hokuto sat back on the driver’s seat, with Taiga sulking and him pondering on why he had trust issues, when they managed to finally detect signs of life. They pass by a small village and stop at an old convenience store they chanced upon. While Taiga was busy dropping snacks and refreshments in a basket, Hokuto approaches the old man at the counter and asks for a map and directions. He should be thankful for this assistance but he was also trying so hard not to stare at the strand of hair poking out of the mole on his chin. 

After a few minutes of explaining, he finds out they’re completely out of the way from where they were originally headed for and resigns to the fact that they’ll have to find someplace to stop in the nearest town. 

Finished with his food hunting, Taiga drops the basket at the counter. He whispers to Hokuto his disappointment of their lack of sour gummy worms and the other tries not to react because he was still feeling petty. They patiently wait for the old man to finish scanning their items while the aged stereo at the corner plays shrill enka to fill the silence. With the two standing side by side, the old man laughs at their ‘obviously not from anywhere near here’ appearance. “Don’t often find young’uns like you down here. Good to see.” He starts. Taiga shifts awkwardly in his spot. He barks a loud cough that makes Hokuto wince before he hands them their change and the plastic bags. “Go fill your tank at the station four houses away. Got a long drive ahead.” He suggests, wrinkled hands pointing across the street. The pair thank him profusely before heading out the door with the ringing chimes. 

They stop by the little gas station as the old man said and they get stared at by the old truckers playing cards at the front of a closed convenience store. The filling station must be old since the numbers were moving slower than Hokuto was used to, so he starts anxiously tapping his foot on the pavement while noting the darkening sky. When the fuel tank is finally filled, Hokuto abides by their honesty system and drops his payment inside the box placed by the gas pump before hurrying back in the car. Inside, Taiga was munching on the closest substitute to sour gummy worms he found which just happened to be sour tape. He offers a strip in front of Hokuto’s mouth like a peace offering, and Hokuto, who was too tired to keep up with the silent treatment, accepts the sour tape before fastening his seat belt and restarting the engine. 

Now, they were relying on the map the old man in the convenience store lent, which only led to another problem: neither of them knew how to read maps. To make things worse, the sky was getting darker each second and the interior lights were still a little too dim for their eyesight. With Hokuto on the wheel, Taiga has to be in charge of leading the way. He was trying so hard to be accurate this time that his eyes were squinting and the map was only a few centimeters away from his face, and Hokuto has to rip his eyes away from him lest he crashes their car after being entranced by how truly adorable he was. 

Fifteen minutes and they see more lights ahead. They take it as a sign that they should be getting closer. Hokuto had just finished the onigiri Taiga brought out from the plastic bag but it only managed to make him hungrier and crave for a real meal. “I want curry.” Mumbles Taiga from his side, making himself comfortable with Hokuto’s outer jacket turned into a make-shift blanket and sitting with his chin resting on his folded legs. “I want gyudon.” He answers back. His stomach growls after stating his desired order and Taiga snorts. 

At some point, Taiga’s phone rings from a notification and they almost cry in joy at finally having data. None of them try to bring up the question of how long they’ve had it back. Immediately, they input the nearest town on the GPS and Taiga sighs in relief. Without care, he throws the physical map to the backseat. Focusing his attention on the map on his phone, the lights they were seeing should be the right place. 

In around five minutes, they make it to town and they’re just relieved to finally find other cars and a few establishments around them. Taiga spots a family restaurant and Hokuto immediately turns, not bothering to find other options because he was just that tired and hungry. No time to be choosy, he thinks. 

The moment they step out of the car and breathe in the slightly less fresh air than from the village a while ago, they sigh in familiarity. There’s a loud pop from when Hokuto stretches his back and Taiga makes a face. “Don’t give me that. You weren’t the one behind the wheel for most of the trip.” Taiga ignores him and just leads them inside the restaurant. 

The place was somewhere between average and below it; the lights were dim and the place was dull and lifeless. Aside from the two of them and the jaded waitress hanging by the counter, there were only three other people in the place: a haggard-looking couple looking like they just finished a messy argument and some sketchy looking man at the corner who wouldn’t stop staring at them. Taiga wraps his arm around Hokuto’s and looks at him. His eyes are telling him  _ ‘we’re eating. Then we go.’ _ Hokuto doesn’t need to be told. 

Fortunately, they have the curry and gyudon they were craving for, and though it wasn’t the best thing they’ve eaten, they almost forget they were in some unknown restaurant in some unknown town like in those thriller and psycho killer-centric films they’ve watched together before. They were  _ just so hungry.  _

It’s 9 pm and they almost get too comfortable. They were seconds close to ordering a milkshake when they’re startled by the guy at the other table who bolts up and starts raising his voice at his companion. With the alarming and ear-splitting argument in the background, the pair locks eyes and gives each other a knowing look conveying an unspoken agreement of  _ ‘we’re getting the fuck out of here.’ _ After Taiga eats his last bite and Hokuto settles the bill, they’re immediately on their feet and scurrying out of that surreality. 

When they’re back inside the car, they stare out the windshield while their minds were trying to catch up and process the events that just happened. Seconds of white noise ring heavily in their ears until Hokuto’s shoulders start shaking. Taiga turns to see what was up with his partner then he finds Hokuto giggling from his seat; Taiga can’t judge him for laughing all of a sudden because the corners of his lips rise and he joins him in laughing too. 

They look like idiots laughing for no particular reason inside the car at some bare parking lot. And perhaps they were, considering everything that has led up to this very moment. After minutes of calming down and collecting themselves, Taiga scrolls through his phone and searches for a place they can reside in for the night. There weren’t many results and reviews but they settle for the most decent looking one based on the available pictures. Before it gets too late and odd occurrences follow them, Hokuto starts the engine and drives to the motel. 

Like everything else, the parking had little to no occupants and the exterior looked like it had experienced better days. They doubted any other place nearby could be any better so they step out of the car and get their duffle bags from the trunk. Checking in was no trouble at all but the guy at the reception gave them a puzzling look like he wasn’t expecting anyone to come at this hour. Hokuto wanted to tell him that he wasn’t expecting to be here either so he would appreciate it if he could stop giving them a once over. Once they get the key card, they head into the elevator and up to their room on the third floor. 

Once they’ve arrived in front of room 318, Hokuto repeatedly swipes the card in the door several times until Taiga gets fed up of waiting and watching him struggle. The blonde grabs the card from his hand and manages to unlock the door in one attempt. As if the long hours of being lost and on the road begins to weigh down on his bones, he storms into the room as soon as the door opens and dramatically plops onto the bed. Hokuto sighs at the sight and shakes his head.  _ ‘What a princess.’  _ He inserts the card into the holder beside the door and the lamp by the bedside lights up, revealing a space decent enough to stay in for the night. Looking like no one got murdered in the place, his shoulders relax and he locks the door behind him securely before stepping in further with their bags. 

“Get some sleep. Check-out is at 10 but I wanna leave before 9:30.” Hokuto tells the man who was already cozy with his eyes shut in bed. Without opening his eyes, the older gestures to Hokuto to join him in bed to which the other readily obliges. 

“Shouldn’t we shower?” Hokuto asks.

“Tomorrow. Too lazy.” Taiga mumbles.

“Can’t believe you got us lost.”

“But are we dead?” 

“You’re not driving tomorrow.”

“Not protesting.”

Without disturbing the body clinging onto him too much, Hokuto positions the comforter on top of them and shifts to switch the lamp off. With a soft ‘good night’, he kisses the top of Taiga’s head and loosens up in his hold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I don’t know where I was going with this but it was fun to write 
> 
> Hokuto isn’t the best driver but he’s enough to keep them both on the right side of the line and alive.
> 
> Taiga’s spoiled brat and princess tendencies are manifesting and it shows even in bed as a clingy sleeper 


	4. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiga was hopelessly obsessed. 
> 
> He had it coming, yet he could do nothing to keep Hokuto from slipping from his fingers.

It wasn’t enough. 

There was no denying that it felt good, but it wasn’t enough. 

He could hear everything so clearly; his own voice muffled against the pillow, the headboard slamming against the wall, obscene sounds of skin meeting skin, then there were the harsh grunts from another man behind him. Yet his mind was screaming back at him a litany of reproach. 

Taiga never wanted to fall in love. The way he pictured it always involved an overwhelming impression of restraint and fading freedom and he didn’t want to be bothered to live a life like that. For years, he was content with living with no commitment and encountering different people to take what he needed and leave before dawn. He was someone who could exist unattached; he couldn’t wrap his mind around those who depended on others to feel whole. 

Until Hokuto appeared one winter night. He was never the same after that. 

For the first time, he had agreed to meet once more with what should have been a one night stand. That was a step he never thought he would take. He could not point out what was different about him from the rest of the others he had met, but the next thing he knew, he was being pulled as his fingers instantly typed out a reply to the message he received the next morning. If he could turn back time, he would have stopped himself from answering back, because then, he wouldn’t have had to go through waves of longing, denial, and false hope. 

For four months, his mind and heart had been floating in the clouds. Stirring and dream-like as those moments were, Taiga should have realized sooner he was taking each second for granted. But he had crossed a boundary that he shouldn’t have, and the truth of their fictitious relationship stabs him when Hokuto decided by himself one night that they should stop seeing each other. 

He had it coming, yet he could do nothing to keep Hokuto from slipping from his fingers. 

Two months have passed and everything moves forward like it should, except for him. No matter what he does --no matter how hard he tries-- it feels like his whole being was left and discarded with memories and a past painfully etched on his skin. All because of one man. 

Taiga wanted to laugh.

He was a fool who played a dangerous game and he was an even bigger fool for underestimating the consequences. He knew what he was getting into; he wasn’t new to it after all. But he never foresaw himself falling as hard as he did like he had been pushed into a pit with no way back up. 

Taiga blames Hokuto for all of this; for wrecking his being, for making him weak and vulnerable, for managing to break the walls he often built around him, _for making him fall in love_. He didn’t want him...until later on when he was gone that he realized he needed him. 

He shivers when a cold hand falls on his hips and caresses his flesh; his mind instantly pictures Hokuto, imagining that it was Hokuto’s gentle hand touching him with affection. It made the stranger’s filthy touch easier to bear. 

Ever since his heart was shattered that one night, Taiga had fallen into several stranger’s beds, a place where reality seemed easier to forget and where he could replay and imagine his delusions. He imagines that it was Hokuto’s sheets he was sinking into and that it was Hokuto himself hovering above him. That it was Hokuto’s hands that were unbuttoning his shirt and stripping him bare, as well as the wet mouth against his collar bone. He prefers to look away, at the window or up the ceiling, anywhere as long as his imagination wasn’t shattered. 

The hot breath fanning on his neck and the throbbing flesh pushing into him -- it was all Hokuto. 

He laughs lightly under his breath. He was hopelessly obsessed. 

With his back towards his partner, it was always easier to pretend and play blind. He didn’t know a single thing about him, not even his name, as they had just met at the club and proceeded to his place after many drinks. The way he moved was rough and intense, his strong and larger frame heavy and harsh with each thrust, clearly the kind who sought nothing else but elation and pleasure. Taiga didn’t really mind; if he could fuck him senseless until memories of Hokuto left him for good, he wouldn’t mind. If he could fuck him into a broken mess until Hokuto could stop appearing in his mind every goddamn second, he would allow him. 

But a part of him was craving for something more as if there was a hole inside him that needed to be filled. No matter who he crosses, or what kind of touch he demands, it was always the same. Only Hokuto could give him what he needed. 

Not one of the men he had spent the night with held him close as he did. Not one of them would intertwine their fingers with his while they thrust into him repeatedly. Not one of them would look at him with longing, hushed and husky voice dripping with both lust and affection calling his name and asking if he was okay. And not one of them would look him in the eyes with overflowing warmth and ardor. 

The corners of his eyes start to sting and he buries his face into the pillow. A particularly hard thrust from behind makes him choke, and he uses it to mask the sob he could not hold back. He feels his partner for the night finish inside him and his body slumps into the sheets, weariness weighing down on his bones and shame pressing hard against his chest. Ragged breathing echoes from behind him and he refuses to look back. Slowly, he feels the man pull out and the weight on the bed disappears. 

Wracked with guilt, a chill runs through him and his body begins to shake. 

The night was cold and he was once again still alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder from kyomohoku: check the label guys don’t be a clown lmao


	5. A Killer's Drug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had come to associate blood with Taiga, like a present in the form of life wiped out sticky and pungent on his shirt

Hokuto grimaces when specks of blood taint the crisp and pristine whiteness of his shirt. He would have to throw that away too after. 

A quick glance at his surroundings and he’s sure he’s finished and ready to go. He takes a step and pays no heed to the sickening crunch of fingers breaking under the soles of his fine leather shoes, the feeling akin to a snap of a twig on his strolls in the park. He looks for the door leading to the exit and walks over the body lying there, soaking the carpet red and blocking his path. He searches for his phone out of his pocket and checks the time, grinning to see that he was right on schedule, having enough time to get back home and potentially find Taiga still awake. 

A little excited, he hurries out of the mansion with a lightness to his gait, grinning like a fool after almost tripping over another body by the staircase. A sigh of contentment leaves him when he steps out of the front door. The night breeze chills his skin and makes him sneeze but it was welcomed for it helped in ridding off the smell of smoke and gunpowder. 

Without a last look to his back, Hokuto slips his hand under his pocket and fumbles for a controller.  
His thumb rests on a small but formidable button and he presses, setting the mansion in a burst of flames. 

Lazily and cat-like, Hokuto stretches his back and arms, groaning at the delightful pop he hears amidst the crackling of flames. He heads back to his car parked out in the open in the driveway while complaining about the pitiful state of his suit. Then without further ado, he makes his way back home. 

Hokuto disliked night-scheduled missions. Going home was always fifty-fifty; either Taiga was awake and waiting for him in his bed with impatience pulling his lips to a pout, or he was asleep after having given up waiting for him. Hokuto always suffered a little disappointment when it was the latter, though he knew very well it was only right for his lover to get that wink of sleep. Taiga was always busy and he deserved every second of rest he could afford. 

Tonight, by some god’s luck, he was getting the better outcome. 

As he gingerly opens the door of his room, careful not to make a sound lest he awakens Taiga if he was asleep by chance, he found there was no need after seeing that the lights were not yet shut. Looking at his bed, he found it empty, the sheets still neat and untouched. His intuition directs him to the bathroom as his senses pick up a presence behind the door to his right. 

His hand tests to see if it was locked, and feeling that it wasn’t, he slowly turns the knob and lets himself enter. A smile draws on his face when he sees his love in the bath, lackadaisical and in a daze until he senses his presence by the doorway. Taiga cranes his neck to look at him and he smirks. 

“You didn’t tell me you were coming home late.” Taiga drawls, eyes drowsy and utterly in respite. An arm emerges from the foamy water and a lithe finger traces along the edge of the tub, tantalizing and hypnotizing enough for Hokuto to step closer. Darkness pools in Taiga’s eyes the moment Hokuto stood in front of the bath, the metallic smell clinging on Hokuto wafting enticingly along the marble and ceramic. Hokuto wasn’t particularly fond of the smell of blood -it was strong and heady and it made his nose scrunch- but he knew how excited the older gets with the smell of a predator finished with his prey. 

So Hokuto comes home fresh from a warzone waiting to please Taiga in one sense leading to another. Perhaps he had come to associate blood with Taiga, like a present in the form of life wiped out sticky and pungent on his shirt. Then when Taiga has that cloudy shadow of hunger and lust on his face, the face he makes seconds before he’s pulling Hokuto down to crush their mouths together, bodies mixing and moving to their shared bed, Hokuto just couldn’t be blamed if he had come to appreciate the messy methods of execution, especially if he knew Taiga was waiting for him at home. His enemy’s blood had turned into a badge earning his favor in Taiga’s heart. 

Hokuto sits beside the edge of the bathtub and leans over to press a kiss to Taiga’s lips. Then Taiga slips off the tie around his neck, urging him to finish his state of undress. Slowly, he unbuttons his shirt and watches Taiga’s careful gaze on his flesh, noting the bruises and searching for more. His lips curl at the sight. 

“You’re not getting in here before you shower.” Taiga asserts, brows furrowing and lips pouting as he sees the purple blossoming under Hokuto’s left rib. Hokuto merely breathes out a short laugh, already expecting that comment, and he steals one last kiss before he stands to unfasten his belt and slip out of his pants. 

The shower at the corner becomes occupied and Taiga waits for his lover in the bath, sinking further with his eyes closed as he breathes in the faint but lingering traces of the enticing smell. He was right to have waited for Hokuto’s late arrival that night. And for a job well done, perhaps he’ll reward him tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah this definitely won't be the last mafia au I'm writing for them


End file.
